Who WE Are – Holly Wiedenmann

Holly Wiedenmann is Colonial’s 2020 ESPY winner…that’s the Educational Support Professional of the Year. For the first time, the Delaware Department of Education introduced this statewide recognition and competition that is designed much like the annual Teacher of the Year, with support professionals (custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers, etc.) being nominated, chosen, and honored for their outstanding work. Wiedenmann, a paraprofessional at Southern, says she was floored when her name was called during Colonial’s virtual ceremony. “I was really shocked. It really meant a lot to me. I was watching with my husband and he yelled, you won!” Wiedenmann has worked as a para for Southern Elementary School’s Intensive Learning Community (ILC) for seven years. She says her college degree in counseling has gone a long way to help her connect with students who have special needs because she gets to work one-on-one with them and help them with their behavior struggles. Wiedenmann loves her job and the District, and even choiced her seven-year-old son into Wilmington Manor this year saying, “I was just really impressed with how Colonial was handling virtual learning compared to his previous school settings…honestly, I’m so happy we made that decision for him.” Wiedenmann says she’s also glad the state decided to honor support professionals in all ranks; “I think it’s long overdue and even though I’m Colonial’s representative, I work with tons of people at Southern alone who are also as deserving. I know, my co-workers know, nobody can do their jobs without each of the pieces. Whether it be secretaries, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and aides, it really takes every single one of us to make the students successful.”